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October 16, 2013

New Hire Roundup: FPA Welcomes David Brand Back to the Fold

Former ICFP executive director who was there at FPA's birth returns to the planner association

This week in personnel announcements and new hires, the FPA announced that David Brand has joined the association as director of strategic operations; Securities America announced that it has promoted Roger Verboon and hired John Carruth; WilmerHale announced that Matthew Martens will be joining the firm; the SEC announced that Daniel Murdock was named deputy chief accountant; and the The Small Business Investor Alliance announced its new board and officers.

Also, Fred Alger Management welcomed a new head of marketing; New York Life announced two staff changes and one addition; the American College named Brian Clontz the Leon L. Levy Fellow in Philanthropy; and RiverNorth added two new professionals.

David Brand Joins FPA as Director of Strategic Operations

Just days before its annual conference, FPA Experience--which will be held in Orlando beginning Saturday, Oct. 19--the Financial Planning Association (FPA) announced that David Brand has joined the association of financial planners as director of strategic operations. In this role, he will focus his efforts on assisting FPA in achieving its strategic directive of becoming the “recognized and unquestioned professional membership organization for Certified Financial Planner professionals,” according to the FPA statement announcing his hiring. To this end, he will be instrumental in guiding the organization on several major internal and external issues and programs and will be involved in "major policy and landscape issues affecting the organization."

Brand has been with the FPA before, in its earliest days following the merger of the IAFP and the ICFP. At the time of the 2000 merger that created the FPA, Brand was executive director of the ICFP, and became co-executive director of the FPA with Janet McCallen, former executive director of the IAFP. He held that position for six months before leaving FPA in favor of McCallen in August 2000. Brand became a leadership and organizational consultant in 2004.

Securities America Promotes Verboon, Adds Carruth

Securities America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, announced recently that it has promoted Roger Verboon to director of practice succession and acquisition and hired John Carruth on its branch office development recruiting team.

Verboon, who joined in 1996, previously held the position of senior practice management consultant, which included coaching advisors in the company’s next level, associate advisor and jump start marketing coaching programs. He also led the creation of the company’s practice transition center. Prior to joining the company’s practice management group in 2003, he managed the company’s customer service call center. His background includes starting and operating multiple businesses.

Carruth brings nearly 15 years of financial services industry experience as a senior regional director focused on the Southern U.S., including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He began his career as a recruiter with GE Capital and later became a senior investment advisor and senior recruiter with JP Morgan Chase. Most recently, he was a senior vice president of national recruiting for Williams Financial Group in Dallas.

Matthew Martens to Join WilmerHale

WilmerHale announced recently that Matthew Martens will be joining the law firm as a partner in its securities and litigation practices. Martens most recently served as chief litigation counsel for the Division of Enforcement at the SEC. Since 2010, he led the Enforcement Division’s litigation program. Most recently, he served as lead trial counsel in one of the SEC’s highest-profile enforcement matters arising out of the 2008 financial crisis.

Prior to joining the SEC, Martens worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the western district of North Carolina, eventually serving as deputy criminal chief where he supervised prosecutors in the white-collar crime unit. He clerked for the Honorable David Sentelle on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and for then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Daniel Murdock Named SEC Deputy Chief Accountant

The SEC has announced the appointment of Daniel Murdock as a deputy chief accountant in the agency's Office of the Chief Accountant. He now heads the office’s accounting group, which advises the SEC on accounting and auditing matters and works closely with private sector accounting bodies such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The accounting group is one of three in the Office of the Chief Accountant, and Murdock fills a vacancy created when Paul Beswick was promoted to chief accountant. The other two deputy chief accountants, Brian Croteau and Julie Erhardt, head the professional practice group and the international group respectively.

Before joining the SEC staff, Murdock served as an industry professional practice director for Deloitte & Touche LLP. There he was responsible for the financial statement audits of several large companies and served in its national office, where he consulted with clients on technical accounting issues.

SBIA Names New Officers and Board for 2013-2014

The Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA) announced its new board of governors at the National Summit for Middle Market Funds. Charles McCusker, managing partner of Patriot Capital, was named chairman of the board. Carolyn Galiette, senior managing director of Ironwood Capital, joined the officers as treasurer.

In addition, Doug England, with the Riverside Company, Trevoir Gregg with RLJ Equity Partners, Tom Danis with RCP Advisors, and Michael Painter, with Plexus Capital, have also joined the board.

Alger Announces New Head of Marketing

Fred Alger Management, Inc. recently announced that Jeanne Sdroulas has joined as SVP, head of marketing. In her new role, she is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s marketing efforts and reports to Jim Tambone, executive vice president, chief distribution officer.

During her 25 years of experience with financial services firms, Sdroulas has held numerous leadership positions and was responsible for marketing communications, branding, product management, and public relations. She joins from Stone Harbor Investment Partners LP, where she was global head of marketing. Prior to that, she served as chief marketing officer at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. Her previous experience also includes senior marketing roles at Citi, Deutsche Bank, and Merrill Lynch & Co.

Castellani, Murphy Move Up at New York Life; Rahman Joins

New York Life announced Monday the appointment of David Castellani as the company’s business information officer, a new position; he has also been elected a senior vice president of the company. The firm also announced that Patrick Murphy will succeed Castellani as head of its retirement plan services unit, and that Pooja Rahman has joined as vice president.

In his new role, Castellani is responsible for translating the firm’s business goals into enterprise technology solutions, driving process improvements across company operations, and establishing consistent governance over all information technology initiatives. He reports to Frank Boccio, EVP and chief administrative officer.

Castellani was previously head of the New York Life Retirement Plan Services business in Westwood, Mass. He joined in 2011 from EWM, LLC, a wealth management firm based in Zurich, Switzerland and New Canaan, Conn., where he was a managing director and chief marketing officer. Before that he served a combined 25 years with Prudential Retirement and CIGNA Corporation. He was also personally involved in two technology firm startups.

Murphy, a veteran of more than two decades in the retirement plan industry, has served as managing director and head of sales for RPS since 2011. He joined RPS in 2004 as director, northeast sales manager, responsible for the sales team in New England and New York. Prior to joining, he was vice president, sales, for American Express Retirement Plan Services, a vice president in Putnam Investments’ defined contribution business and a senior account representative with Diversified Investment Advisors.

Rahman reports to George Nichols III, SVP in charge of the office of governmental affairs, and is responsible for developing and implementing policy positions influencing domestic and international policymakers’ decisions on issues related to international solvency and accounting standards for insurers, as well as on insurance supervision.

Prior to joining, Rahman was manager and counsel, international policy and analysis for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Prior to that, she was director, senior corporate counsel for Aviva, plc, and in-house counsel for the Iowa Insurance Division. Additionally, she worked at Principal Financial Group as a technical analyst.

The American College Names Bryan Clontz Leon L. Levy Fellow in Philanthropy

The American College announced Tuesday that Bryan Clontz has been named as the Leon L. Levy fellow in philanthropy at The American College of Financial Services for 2014. Levy, a well-known Philadelphia-based insurance leader who has personally funded this position, will assist with case study development and presentations to nonprofit charities.

Clontz will work to research and promote the best practices of philanthropy, with special attention to assisting advisors and nonprofit gift planners collaborate to better serve the needs of clients and donors. In addition to his own research, publications and public speaking, he will be contributing his technical expertise and practical wisdom to Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy courses while promoting philanthropic best practices across a wide range of college programs and initiatives. He serves as the president and co-founder of Charitable Solutions. Over the last 18 years, he has served as the director of planned giving for the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, director of planned giving at the national office of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and as vice president of advancement at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

RiverNorth Welcomes Two

RiverNorth Capital Management announced that it has added Chris Lakumb as a portfolio specialist and Paul Raskin as a software developer.

Lakumb has rejoined RiverNorth after relocating to California to work for EverBank as a wealth management specialist. Prior to initially joining RiverNorth in 2009, he was a managing director at InterOcean Financial Group, LLC, where he was part of the investment committee and participated in investment manager research, due diligence and review processes.

Raskin has spent more than five years writing financial software, and most recently wrote futures and options trading applications as a software developer for R.J. O’Brien & Associates.